Dead Gods Rising & Diesel Punk World at War

Sci-fi/Horror, Diesel Punk

Grave Consequences

The group discusses goals and current projects, of which the two most pressing are put forth by Dyson and Givens (Dyson wants to search the cemetery for a book to help settle the souls of the dead, and Givens wants to go back into the park to rescue a fairy that has sent him a distress call). To compromise they send Durgan and McGovern out to see the Dryad to see if she can provide any intel. The rest of the group (with prvt. Wojtek) searches the cemetery and finds the mausoleum being searched for, enters and finds a hole has been opened into a subterranean chamber. Enter and start exploring when Wojtek was attacked (and killed) by a many legged spider thing with no head. Group retreats and performs surgery on Wojtek

The next day the group again goes back to the cemetery and explores more, encountering four Voor in a cavern. Return after one battle, and spend rest of cay preforming surgery on Wojtek again and performing repairs to the hummers.

The following day the group goes out scavenging, first a police station and then a grocery store. At the grocery store they are attacked by Thoon thralls and thoon infiltrators. A brief autopsy is performed on the thoon infiltrator, and the “bug” is removed and brought back to be further investigated by Dr. McGovern. Group goes out scavenging other nearby buildings without incident. Durgan and McGovern return with little new intelligence on the fairy.

Day 21:
Scavenge more stores and while doing so encounter a lone Draegloth, which they quickly defeat. Acquire a large amount of cheer food and a griddle stove, which they install in the aquarium. Use this that night to cook rations and share a keg of beer with whole group.
Day 22:
Perform cybernetic surgery on Wojtek to install fortified skeleton and feat progit from Salim Gaven (Day 17).
Day 23:
All members from the spaceship return to base and spend day recuperating from hyperoxia. Givens gives orders to start sending out scouting parties to survey local plants for food and medicinal uses.
Day 24: (June 29th, 2395)
Spaceship group returns to Dakkur and then group heads to hospital in northeast corner of the city to look for equipment to set up an oxygen stable room in the aquarium. While there a trap is sprung and find themselves in a Deepspawn’s layer. After a lengthy battle, the group was victorious, and after quickly patching their wounded returned to the aquarium to rest and recuperate.
Day 25: (June 30th, 2395)
The group searches nearby cars for fuel and usable parts, and then goes out to scavenge more from some local shops and find many useful supplies. At the marina they secure a boat and a small portable fuel tank, and are attacked by some spanthi reavers from the river. Afterwards they return with their goods to the base.

The wonders of the east

1938

King Zog of Albania has surrendered to Il Duce without contest. Naval and air bombings paved the way for the landing of Italy’s clockwork soldiers, and the stories of their lethal precision form Ethiopia lead the king to surrender without a return shot fired…

Tiger Tiger Burning Bright

The intrepid adventurers limped their way back to base camp, licking their wounds and feeling tired. They luckily were able to make it all through the night without incident, though Sam did notice two sets of eyes starring at him from the darkness during his watch. And spent another whole day resting and recuperating while Tanner and Corbet examined the surroundings.

The next day they made their way back to the temple, most of the group felt that they were being watched when they entered the abandoned city, and Tanner thought he saw at his periphery something humanoid. At the temple, Corbet went out to hunt on the outside of the ruins, while the group went in and began exploring the 2nd floor. They found sleeping quarters and what they assume to be a barracks, with strange depressions with raised mounds, which inspection made them suspect large snacks might have coiled around. They then went through a set of large stone doors up into the middle tower overlooking the entrance. They found a humanoid bed and several books, which the shape suggests are recent editions, which discussed the Rakshasa demon lord Prahasta, and how to ressurect him (this was odd as the city was believed to be Sām̐pa gām̐va, a naga city (the temple had also shown murals and and shrine to Mershaulk). While they were examining this, Sam was attacked by a Tiger with tentacles emerging from its back, which nearly killed him, but the group was able to quickly subdue it, and upon its death it revered to a normal tiger. Knowing their gunfire had alerted anyone in the temple to their presence, they quickly searched the remainder off the tower, but were attacked by two demonic tigers (like the ones the group fought in Solmon’s Sanctuary, which killed Rosco), and these nearly killed Andre and Sam but when defeated also revered to normal tigers. The group then made a hasty retreat back to base camp to recuperate.

World at War

World at War

Vlad: easily slipped into Russia where he eventually found the resurrected Czar Nicolas II and Rasputin, he was filled with awe and accepted the Czar as his leader and became one of his soldiers.

Sam: developed a case of Typhoid from his encounter in Egypt with the sludge and spent several weeks recovering. He was later approached by Thomas Inskip, current Minister for Coordination of Defence, who feels the UK needs to be building up its military, but is currently opposed and looking to put together a covert strike force to stop the Nazis. Same also handed over the sword of ___, they had “acquired” in Egypt along with his notes taken since the group met at Dr. Sorensen’s home. The rest of his time was spent researching the Key of Solomon and the the newly acquired documents with Dr. Sorensen.

Andre: Spent his time going investigating various black market leads, related to the Key of Solomon and red light districts. He required a good amount of cash and a few shots of penicillin but found a few leads that suggested a church, Arles Cathedral, was built by individuals with an obsession with Solomon.

Josef: spent his time in the holy land researching Solomon and his binding of demons, while exploring the new powers his God had bestowed upon him.

Rosco: spent his time in the holy land guarding Josef, and getting high on opium

Bruno: spent his time at his academy in Italy working on his inventions and dodging questions about what he had been up to for all this time away from the academy. He then slipped away in the night to rejoin his companions.

The group discussed their several weeks of research and determined that the Knights Templar discovered the location of the temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, and within it they found the Key of Solomon, along with the Throne of Solomon, the Ark of the Covenant, and the Seal of Solomon. Awed and fearful of the power of these holy artifacts, they divided and locked them away, fearful of what the enemies of God might do with them, but also aware that when the end of days comes they might be of great use in leading the followers of God against his enemies.

The documents discussed that the Key of Solomon was hidden away in a secret chamber beneath the Sphinx in Egypt. Three arcane locks prevent intrusion into this chamber, the first of which was transported to France and stored within Arles Cathedral. Much of the documents describing this were badly damaged, but the following pieces of information were still intact: a warded and secret chamber beneath the church would allow access to the key’s resting place, and that a Korban of incense by a devout leader of the faith would be necessary.

The group proceeded to the Church, where some of their more observant members noticed suspicious looking Germans waiting around and looking uncomfortable. The church was surprisingly empty when they entered it, and they noticed strange carvings in the architecture as well as small gold animals. Upon inspecting the altar, they found a secret panel that slid away to reveal a mosaic of Solomon’s Throne with spots where pins could be placed, which matched some of the gold animals they had seen. Bringing up what Josef remembered reading and Andre’s picking ability to check if a piece would fit, they began placing the animals in the slots, getting most correct, except for one (when this happened a demon was summoned and began attacking them, but it disappeared when the last piece was correctly placed). With the last piece in place there was a click and the altar could be swung open to reveal a small secluded area beneath. Entering there were writings on the wall of phrases from Solomon’s wisdom, and a room with a strange “pentagram” drawn in the floor. One of the members stepped into the circle and it’s markings began to glow, softly at first, then more brightly, until with a flash they were gone. The party tried stepping in the circle to follow, but nothing happened for several seconds, then slowly the markings began glowing again, and the party found themselves in strange location.

They appeared to be in a dilapidated temple, and the ground where they arrived had a similar looking circle of runes as those that had transported them here. In front of them was a fountain, filled with a bubbling black peutrid liquid. On the wall behind it was a statue of a terrifying angel, to their right was a raised area with an altar, and to their left was another raised area with a pit.

1938

PRAGUE, Feb. 18
The Czechoslovak government announced today the acceptance in principle, but with some reservations, of a new British plan for the execution of an Anglo-French scheme to cede the Sudetenland to Germany.

World at War

After piling up debris in front of the door leading to the section of Ini-Herit’s tomb they broke into the group exited, with Rosco coming last, as he passed into the tomb of Sensunet he began taking out the scroll cases and breaking them open. He got through 4 of them before Sam and Vlad were able to intervene, and during the ensuing struggle, he managed to break open 2 more before being knocked unconscious by Vlad (during the scuffle Sam noticed that Rosco’s pupils were dilated). Josef’s inspection of the cases showed that the wax sealing the top of the cases was inscribed with runes of compulsion and charm.

The group debated about whether they should go back into the tomb and destroy the alien statue (with Bruno advocating for it) and Vlad asking if they couldn’t arrange for it to interfere with the Nazis. Ultimately Sam and Andre convinced the group to leave it well enough alone and make good on their escape with the scroll cases. During this conversation, no one noticed that Rosco had regained consciousness, and he opened one of the two remaining unopened cases, but not the last. The cases were split equally amongst the group and their workers mounted up all of the loot they got from Sensunet’s tomb and transported it back to Cairo.

In Cairo the group began to plan what they should do next, asking Dr. Sorensen, who said I have no idea. Vlad, however, received a telegraph from a contact about looking for some help arranging the sale of an artifact. The contact, Ali Farhi, had arranged the sale of an artifact, one of the bidders had been the Nazis, who were out bid, and now Ali has heard rumor that they plan to interfere with the sale. The group decided to take the job, especially since they could sell their plunder from Sensunet’s tomb at a better price there.

The group took a train from Cairo to Istanbul, and sold off the loot. They met with Ali, who discussed the details. The other buyer had been Dr. Lehrer, the sale would take place on The Orient Express after the train left from Budapest, and the artifact was documents detailing the location of the true Key of Solomon, a grimoire about how the 72 demons King Solomon trapped in Hell could be freed or more could be imprisoned.

The next morning the group got on the train and traveled north. After leaving Budapest the group accompanied Ali to the forward dinning car and met Gáspár, the buyer, his body guard and his archeologist. While the verification of the documents were going on Vlad was looking out the window and noticed what at first he thought were shooting stars, only to realize they were moving towards the train. Vlad dived under the table, his companions at first assumed he was having a PTSD episode. Shortly there after 9 Nazis wearing jet packs zoomed into view, 3 went towards the engine while others landed throughout the train. Shortly after a German voice announced over the train’s speakers that everyone was to make their way to the dining cars, and if all directions were followed no one would be hurt. The group tried to make their way with Ali and Gáspár back to their car, where all their weapons were (except for Rosco’s pistol and Andre’s daggers), however, the mass of passengers being pushed into the car prevented this.

Sam grabbed two steak knives and cut his palms, spreading bloody “war paint” on his face, and screaming charged at the passengers, who did their best to get out of the way of the crazed “savage.” Bruno grabbed a dining platter as a shield. Andre followed after Sam and climbed up onto the roof of the train. Vlad stood by the door to the dining car ready to through any nazis out of the window he had Rosco shoot out, then followed in Sam’s wake. Same and Vlad attacked the two Nazis, with Vlad fatally caving in the face of one of them, while Andre ran across the roof and came from behind. Seeing his companion brutally punched to death the other nazi surrendered (but got killed at some point don’t remember how or why, perhaps Bruno…?).

Bruno put on one of the rocketeer’s jet pack, and another train coming from the wrong direction of the opposite track pulled up next to theirs, and the voice over the speakers announced that if Ali and Gáspár did not give themselves up they would start executing prisoners, and that their was a bomb planted in the engine room. Andre climbed atop their car, leaped across to the other and then decoupled the train, while being attacked by other rocketeers. Bruno flew towards the engine to disable the bomb and was chased by the lead rocketeer to the engine room. Josef gathered the documents off of Ali to hide them, Gáspár gave up himself when the passengers were threatened by Nazis from the front of the car, and Josef ran off with the documents, and the Nazis gave chase, but Vlad and Rosco intervened and killed two more assailants. Sam launched one of the dead rocketeers into the other train, and then used their machine gun to blindly shoot at the soldiers in the other car.

With everyone needing to leave we story boarded the remainder:
Rosco quickly ran towards the engine car, and arrived just in time to find the lead rocketeer ready to kill Bruno, having threatened to drop a grenade into the Engine room with Bruno; at which point Rosco fired on him, setting off his jetpack. Andre near death managed to throw a dagger at the rocketeer targeting him, sending his jet pack into a tailspin and then leaping back to his train, and Sam continued fending off the assailants. Bruno easily disable the several bombs that had been wired into the room.

Epilogue for after everyone left:

With the engineers dead, Bruno assessed the controls and guided the train to a stop at the next stop of Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. During the short ride Dr.
Jørgensen treated the injuries of other passengers. Upon arrival in Bratislava, the authorities were notified and all passengers were unloaded pending investigation. All were interrogated. The PCs were at first considered to be instigators in the deaths of the four passengers, especially the Indian Sam Crowe, however, seeing as how they did nothing themselves to harm anyone other than the assailants, the deaths of the conductor and 1st engineer, and the planting of the bombs they were determined to have by chance acted correctly, though some public perception is that they could not have known this and were only lucky that these circumstances existed. No evidence was found to link Nazi involvement with the attack, and during the time of the investigation the German government denounced the attack as a despicable act by terrorist, and an exoneration of their right to be rebuilding their army to defend against such outlaws.

Gáspár, spooked by the attack has now backed out of the deal to buy the documents, leaving Ali without a current buyer, other than possibly considering selling them to Dr. Lehrer, who just tried to steal them and possibly kill him.

World at War

The group had gown down into the tomb of the merchant Sensunet on Christmas Eve, dug into the tomb of Ini-Herit into a tunnel and went west, quickly encountering a pit trap, then entered a room smelling of decay, Sam approached a well and was attacked by a sludge creature, which nauseated him. The group spread out and attacked, and eventually managed to subdue the creature. The group pressed on heading north down a corridor trapped with darts, the threat of which was avoided this time. The room at the end of the corridor contained an alien statue made of gold and gems, which when approached changed to steel and attacked. The group tried to combat it, but found their weapons mostly ineffective (since Taylor couldn’t even roll average damage on his gun). The group was forced to retreat, being chased by the statue. Bruno rigged the trap to not rotate for most of the group to run across and then reset it, which Rosco jumped across, but Andre fell into and was rendered unconscious and dying. While the statue was temporarily stopped by a blocked door the group pulled out Andre’s body, after which the statue charged them and fell down into the pit. Andre’s bleeding was stopped and he was stabilized while the statue dealt with getting out of the trap. Once out it attacked and dropped Rosco, but unable to chase through the tunnel eventually retreated, while Rosco lay dieing and Andre played dead.

The group badly injured returned to camp and Dr. Jorgensen performed surgery on almost all of them, and the group rested a few days before reentering the tomb. This time the group went east and entered a room with 2 other doors and 4 statues (Anubis, Sobek, Toth, and Horus). Searching the room they found a secret door hidden behind some stucco, when they went to open the door the statue of Anubis animated and attacked Andre (the one about to open the door). The group quickly determined that the statue was the Stone Demon they had read about. Rosco blew opium on it and Sam wielded the Kopesh, and it was soon defeated. The group opened the door, found a short hallway to a door, that was barred from their side with an inscription that warns against disturbing the tomb of Ini-Heirt and that his servants will hunt down anyone who does until all is restored. Upon entering the room they found 30 dessicated bodies, and bloody claw marks on the back of the door. There were two raised diases with tables bearing 4 scroll cases each. Above them was an inscription saying: “Knowledge can be freely taken, but the student must always pay a price”. There was also a door saying: Those who seek to defile his tomb or take his possessions shall be crushed. Leave now unless you intend to pay homage to him and raise him into a new century.

The group took the scrolls and then Andre entered the resting place of Ini-Herit, he grabbed some of Ini-Herit’s treasures, at which point the sarcophagus opened and a mummy emerged, terrifying most of the group and attacking Andre, who was knocked out. The mummy then reclaimed the two rings Andre had taken and place on his fingers, by ripping of the finger and retreating.

The session ended with the group on it’s way out of Ini-Herit’s tomb, but piling rubble up against the door into the room with the demon statue so that when Nazi’s got there they would have difficulty getting to where they entered from.